The iPhone 18 Pro went on sale on 18 September at £1,199. On the same day, Apple raised the price of every older iPhone it still sells. That makes refurbished the clearest route to a recent iPhone at a sensible price.
The best-value refurbished iPhone right now is the iPhone 16, from £599.99 at MS Mobiles against £799 new from Apple. On a tighter budget, the iPhone 15 from £424.99 covers the essentials. If you want Pro features, a refurbished iPhone 15 Pro costs less than a standard iPhone 16.
The short answer
Five refurbished iPhones are worth your attention this autumn, depending on what you want from the phone.
|
If you want |
Buy |
From at MS Mobiles |
New from Apple |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The best value overall |
iPhone 16 |
£599.99 |
£799 |
|
The lowest sensible price |
iPhone 15 |
£424.99 |
No longer sold |
|
Pro features for less |
iPhone 15 Pro |
£574.99 |
No longer sold |
|
The newest standard iPhone |
iPhone 17 |
£699.99 |
£899 |
|
Last year's flagship |
iPhone 17 Pro |
£849.99 |
Replaced by iPhone 18 Pro at £1,199 |
Prices checked on 8 October 2026. "From" is the lowest price for each model, and it moves with grade, storage and stock.
What the iPhone 18 Pro launch changed
A new iPhone usually makes the older ones cheaper. This year Apple did the opposite.
- The iPhone 18 Pro starts at £1,199 and the Pro Max at £1,299, each £100 more than the 17 Pro models they replace.
- The iPhone 16 went from £699 to £799, and the iPhone 17 from £799 to £899.
- Apple's cheapest iPhone is now the iPhone 17e at £699.
- There was no standard iPhone 18. Reports point to spring 2027, and Apple has not confirmed a date.
If you were waiting for the launch to bring prices down, it has not happened at Apple. The saving is in refurbished: the same iPhone 16 or iPhone 17, tested and unlocked, for around £200 less. It also keeps a working phone in use and out of the waste stream.
If the iPhone 18 Pro is the one you want, we have that too.
iPhone 16: the best value for most people
The iPhone 16 is the newest iPhone where the refurbished saving is large and nothing important is missing.
- Chip: the A18 runs iOS 27 and supports Apple Intelligence.
- Camera: a 48MP main camera, an ultra-wide that handles close-up shots, and the Camera Control button.
- Everyday details: USB-C charging, the Action button, and a size that suits most hands.
- Longevity: Apple still sells it new, so it has years of software updates ahead.
What you give up against the iPhone 17 is a smoother 120Hz display and 256GB of storage as standard. Most people will not miss either.
Buy it if you want a phone to keep for several years without paying for features you will not notice.
iPhone 15: the lowest price worth paying
From £424.99, the iPhone 15 has the features that still matter day to day: USB-C, the Dynamic Island and a 48MP main camera. It runs iOS 27.
What you give up is Apple Intelligence. Those features need an iPhone 15 Pro or any iPhone 16 or later. If they do not interest you, the iPhone 15 is a strong buy. If they do, the iPhone 16 is worth the extra.
Older models such as the iPhone 13 and 14 cost less again and still run iOS 27. They use the Lightning connector instead of USB-C, and they will reach the end of software updates sooner. You can compare them all in our refurbished iPhone range.
iPhone 17: the newest standard iPhone for less
With no standard iPhone 18 yet, the iPhone 17 is still Apple's current standard model. Refurbished, it starts at £699.99 against £899 new.
The step up from the iPhone 16 is about £100, and it buys you three things:
- A larger 6.3-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, so scrolling is noticeably smoother
- 256GB of storage as standard, double the iPhone 16's starting point
- The newer A19 chip, a 48MP ultra-wide camera and a better front camera
Buy it if you keep a lot of photos and video on your phone, or if you have used a 120Hz screen and do not want to go back. Our guide to which iPhone 17 is right for you covers the rest of the range.
Refurbished Pro models: where the value moves
Pro iPhones lose their price premium faster than they lose their features, which makes an older Pro a serious alternative to a newer standard model.
- iPhone 15 Pro, from £574.99. It costs less than a standard iPhone 16 and adds a 120Hz display, a 3x telephoto camera and a titanium frame. It supports Apple Intelligence. The trade-off is age: it is a year older, with a smaller battery than the iPhone 16.
- iPhone 16 Pro, from £699.99. The same starting price as a standard iPhone 17, with a 5x telephoto camera the iPhone 17 does not have.
- iPhone 17 Pro, from £849.99. Apple no longer sells it, and its replacement costs £1,199. That is £350 less for last year's flagship.
If the camera matters most to you, start here.
Which grade to choose
Grade describes how a phone looks, not how it works. Every device goes through the same 90-point check before it is listed, and every phone is unlocked.
- Grade A is the closest to new in appearance.
- Grade B and Grade C show more visible signs of use and cost less.
- New is unused stock, available on some models.
If you use a case, a lower grade is the easiest saving there is. If the phone is a gift, Grade A or New is the safer choice.
Full-price devices come with a 12-month warranty, and you have 14 days to return a phone if you change your mind. Sale items carry a 6-month warranty. The details are on our warranty page.
FAQ
Is the iPhone 16 still worth buying in 2026?
Yes. Apple still sells it new at £799, it runs iOS 27, and it supports Apple Intelligence. Refurbished from £599.99, it is the best balance of price and longevity in the range.
Which refurbished iPhones get iOS 27?
Every iPhone from the iPhone 11 onwards, including the iPhone SE (2nd generation and later). Apple Intelligence is more limited: it needs an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 or later.
Should I wait for the standard iPhone 18?
Apple did not announce one in September, and reports point to spring 2027. Apple has not confirmed a date or a price. After this year's price rises, there is little sign it will cost less than the iPhone 17 does today.
Will refurbished iPhone prices fall now the iPhone 18 Pro is out?
More trade-ins usually arrive in the weeks after a launch, which improves the choice of grades and colours. Prices are harder to call this year, because Apple raised its own prices on older models instead of cutting them.
Can I spread the cost?
Yes. You can pay in three interest-free instalments with Klarna at checkout.